傀儡 (kuǐlěi) · puppet, figurehead

Measure Word

一个傀儡 gè

HSK 7-9

他不过是个傀儡，真正做决定的是幕后老板。

Tā búguò shì gè kuǐlěi, zhēnzhèng zuò juédìng de shì mùhòu lǎobǎn.

He's just a puppet; the one really making decisions is the boss behind the scenes.

HSK 7-9

傀儡政权没有真正的权力。

Kuǐlěi zhèngquán méiyǒu zhēnzhèng de quánlì.

A puppet regime has no real power.

history

傀儡 originally referred to wooden marionettes used in traditional Chinese puppet shows (傀儡戏). The political meaning developed from this.

傀 kuǐ

儡 lěi